ST. LOUIS – Sophomore Dylan Steffens recorded the only Redbird victory Saturday morning, as the Illinois State men's tennis team finished MVC Tournament play and its season with a 4-1 loss to top-seeded and No. 31 nationally-ranked Drake.
"Today wasn't our best day, but we competed really well and fought until the last point," said head coach Mark Klysner. "The guys showed so much support for one another, and we played Drake real close."
After securing the doubles point in its opening tournament match versus Stony Brook, Illinois State (10-12) could not make it two in a row against conference foe Drake (23-6). Juniors Jakub Eisner and Rolando Torrellas lost their No. 1 flight to the Bulldogs' Ben Lott and Bayo Philips, 8-3, while seniors Muddappa Appanervanda and Jacob Wilson were beaten in their No. 3 flight by Drake's Matt Frost and Ravi Patel, 8-3. Steffens and freshman Christoffer Greve's No. 2 flight went unfinished.
Steffens defeated Drake's Calum MacGeoch in the No. 5 flight in straight-sets, 7-3, 6-3, for his eighth victory this spring, but the sophomore's singles win was the only Redbird highlight on the day. Eisner, Torrellas and Greve all lost in straight-sets in their respective flights, while Wilson and Appanervanda's No. 2 and No. 6 flights went unfinished.
"Today was the last matches for our two seniors [Appanervanda and Wilson], and I want to wish them all the best in their future," said Klysner. "We have one new recruit coming in for sure, and we should, again, be very deep next year. I'm excited for next season."
NOTES
Illinois State lost its fourth-straight to Drake, with the Redbirds' last victory against DU coming in the 2009-2010 season. The loss also marked the third-consecutive season the Redbirds ended their spring campaign with a defeat by the Bulldogs.
While Saturday marked the end of the Redbirds' season, ISU improved its overall record this spring by two matches, compared to last season.
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